Ajit Agarkar Reveals Why Selectors Picked Surya as Captain over Hardik
Why Selectors Picked Surya as Captain over Hardik, Gautam Gambhir, who was recently appointed as the new head coach for Team India by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has attended his first press conference along with the chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
In the press conference, both were asked about the decision of choosing SuryaKumar Yadav as captain for the T20I team over Hardik Pandya.
The chief selector Ajit Agarkar clearly gave the answer and said that Hardik Pandya’s fitness is the main reason behind not choosing him as captain of the Indian T20I team, as BCCI needs a captain who can play all the T20I matches for the team.
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Agarkar admitted that Hardik Pandya is an important player for team India, but his fitness is a big challenge.
“We want a captain who can play all the games. His skill set difficult to find. Fitness has been a challenge for him. It became difficult for a coach and a selector. We have time till the next T20 World Cup. Fitness is clear challenge. We want someone who is likely to be available more often than not. Surya has the qualities needed to succeed as a captain,” said Ajit Agarkar during the press conference.
Speaking on Surya’s capabilities as a batter and captain Agarkar said, ”He is one of the deserving candidates, He is one of the best T20 batters in the world. We feel that Surya has all the necessary qualities to be a good captain. We wanted a captain, who is likely to play all the games,” “Surya has the necessary ability to lead the team. We wanted a captain who is around. We will see how he will do in two years.”
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Hardik served as a designated vice-captain of team India in ODI World Cup 2023 and in T20 World Cup 2024, he was appointed as captain of team India right after the team’s semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup 2022. Pandya led the Indian team in 16 T20Is in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma.
The all-rounder also captained for Gujarat Titans in the IPL (Indian Premier League). GT won the IPL title in its first attempt under Hardik Pandya’s leadership, and also played the finals in their second season.
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Pandya was seen as the front-runner to lead India’s T20I team after the retirement of Rohit Sharma. However, selectors choose SuryaKumar Yadav over Hardik Pandya citing fitness concerns.
